Pages

Friday, February 28, 2014

Sierra Livingston’s got it bad for her sister’s best friend, Levi Mason—the boy who carries his drumsticks in his pocket, marches with the school’s band, and taps his feet to whatever beat runs through his head. Sierra racks her brain for ways to impress the sexy drummer, but the short skirts and bursting cleavage don’t seem to cut it.

When Sierra gets paired with Levi’s sister, Brea, for a mentorship program, they strike a deal. In exchange for Sierra keeping her mouth shut about Brea ditching the program, Brea lets Sierra dig for more info on Levi to help get the guy of her dreams.

But when Sierra discovers Levi no longer plays the drums, his family has moved into a trailer, and he’s traded in his Range Rover for a baby blue moped, Sierra’s not sure if she can go through with violating his privacy. She’ll have to find the courage to ask him straight out—if he’s willing to let her in—and explore other ways to seduce the school’s band geek.

It’s Brea Mason’s sixteenth birthday, and she has three wishes. 1. Be magically eighteen like the rest of her friends. 2. Grow a money tree for her family whose financial problems are well known about town. 3. Overcome her test anxiety before she flunks out of every class.

But one day later, she's still sixteen, her family's money worries abound, and she's no closer to passing than she was the day before!

Then a very sexy transfer student—with gobs of cash—shows up. Brea figures she has a better chance of burping up glitter than attracting the new guy, but he seems extremely interested in her.

Just when Brea thinks things are looking up, her report card arrives marked with four giant F’s. Enter resident bookworm and Brea's loyal friend, Adam Silver. If he can't help Brea pass, no one can.

Even with Adam's help, Brea can't handle the mounting pressure, and finds an escape with the new student who knows little about her problems.

But spending oodles of time with her boyfriend strains the friendship with Adam she relies so heavily on. Faced with losing the only real comfort and support she has ever had, Brea starts to wonder if she can hook a bookworm before it's too late.

Cassie Mae is a nerd to the core from Utah, who likes to write about other nerds who find love. She’s the author of the Amazon Bestsellers REASONS I FELL FOR THE FUNNY FAT FRIEND and HOW TO DATE A NERD, and is the debut author for the Random House FLIRT line with her New Adult novels FRIDAY NIGHT ALIBI and SWITCHED. She spends time with her angel children and perfect husband who fan her and feed her grapes while she clacks away on the keyboard. Then she wakes up from that dream world and manages to get a few words on the computer while the house explodes around her. When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with the youth in her community as a volleyball and basketball coach, or searching the house desperately for chocolate.

Monday, February 17, 2014

Seventeen-year-old Adria Catarr is a carefree, stubborn girl with an insatiable sweet tooth. When she stumbles into Lando Cardé, the incognito prince, during the annual Midsummer Festival and mistakes his charm for love at first sight, her naïve heart is quickly broken.

Kaidan Sordell, a childhood friend, is there to pick up the pieces and help Adria mend her wounds. His affection for her has gone unnoticed for so long that he’s not sure if he’ll ever have the nerve to tell her how he truly feels.

With the last summer before adulthood upon them, Adria and Kaidan decide to seek out the Temple of the Red Mare. The legendary tales of it revealing a heart’s truest desire is too tempting for lovelorn Adria to pass up.

Will she realize, though, that what she’s looking for has been trekking beside her all along?

Jake Bonsignore is the author of multiple novels, including Empyreal Illusions, Awakening the Fire, and The Lioness. He is a graduate of the University of South Florida with magna cum laude honors. Outside of his literary pursuits, he enjoys playing sports and is a fitness enthusiast. He is currently working on his next book.

“What’s so confusing about it? I’m certain you’ve held
her hand before? You’ve made each other laugh despite your disagreements, yes?”
She opened a package of biscotti while he nodded. “You’ve held her when she
cried, correct? For heaven’s sake, you’ve traveled leagues with her into the
back of beyond so she could fulfill a silly dream. The first thing she asked me
when I checked on her was if you were alright. It’s pretty obvious, if you ask
me. You two are as lovely of an item as they come.”

Kaidan swallowed a piece of his biscuit and countered,
“I’m not so certain that things are that simple.”

Sabine arched her brows. “Young’un, have you hit your
head recently or are you always this stupid?”

“W-what do you mean?”

“True love is a journey. It doesn’t happen overnight.
Give and take, push and pull, ups and downs…they’re all part of the blessing.
There’s more to a relationship than kissing and cuddling, you see. When it
comes down to it, though, I think you already figured that out.”

The color drained from Kaidan’s face as if he had seen
a ghost. Was it really possible for the girl of his dreams to have chosen him? The truth of what she said hit him like a sidewinder. Were he and Adria
really a couple? They had never really kissed or even broached the matter….

Sabine went on as if she had read his mind. “I can
tell those rusted cogs in your noggin are turning, Kaidan. Trust me when I tell
you that I haven’t become this ancient without learning about how the world
operates. Someday, you’ll see that what you have and how deep your pockets run
don’t mean a whole lot in the grand scheme of things. It’s who you are in here
that counts.” She tapped his chest. “You have to do more than make her feel
like she’s the most special lady in the world. You have to make her know it.”

A thought-provoking, hallowed silence ensued next. Her
wisdom had unleashed a thousand possibilities within Kaidan that he had never
dared to imagine.

Kaidan’s shoulders eventually slumped. “You’re right,
Granny Sabine. I’ve never told anyone this and I’m not so sure that I even want
to admit it, but I…I think I’ve loved Adria since we were children. If
anything, this journey has made me fall for her a hundred times over.”

“Ah, young’un.” She coughed. “Don’t make me question
if there’s anything between those ears of yours.”

Huh? “I don’t get—”

“Pay close attention, Kaidan. No matter what comes to
be and where you end up, remember this for the rest of your life. Capiche?”

“Y-yes.”

“When you’re meant for each other, you don’t fall. You rise. You become a better person and go out of your way to wow your
partner. Love always brings you up,
not kicks you down.”

Kaidan knew not how long he remained
motionless with a gaping mouth.

“First you went all dumb on me, and now you’ve
gone mute? Well, that’s okay, young’un. As long as you don’t go deaf, we won’t
have an issue.”

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

When Ash Summerland left the Academy of Magical Beings, he was sure he’d put his troubles behind him. But when his girlfriend, Kendall, is almost killed by an old enemy over something he knows little about, Ash is forced to confront the demons of his past if he wants to save his and Kendall’s future.

With his fairy magic fading and his djinn magic more powerful than ever, Ash isn’t sure he can stop the evil from closing in around him. Although Kendall is the only thing keeping him from going over the edge, if he can’t learn to balance out his magic and find a way to defeat his enemies once and for all, both his world, and the girl he loves will be lost forever.

Sophie has enough problems
in her life without Spencer turning her blood to fire, without his eyes
freezing and burning her, without his hatred of her. Since his migration into
the house next to hers, Sophia Valdez isn’t sure whether she wants to toss him
under a bus or kiss that smirking mouth of his. But even as the temperature
rises around them, leaping flames of passion, want and desire, everything
either has ever known will be shattered by the lurking shadow hounding their
every step, wanting revenge.

Spencer Rowth moves to the sleepy town of River Port with his mother and twelve
year old sister, Suzy, to escape a deceitful father, an unfaithful girlfriend
and a life crumbling much too fast for him to grapple onto only to be smacked
upside the head by the last thing he wanted again. Sophie was everything he
refused to want. Her temper, her wit, her laugh, her smile, the way her entire
body goes up in flames under his hands are things he would rather slam a lid on
and forget. Instead, he finds himself falling for the smart-mouth next door.
But how long will he have before the evil chasing them catches up? How long
before the very thing he never wanted becomes his only thread to sanity? And who
is after them? What do they want and why do they want Spencer and Sophie dead?

Excerpt

“I won’t bite,” he said, probably
meaning it as a joke. “Oh
if only that were my only problem,” she sighed under her breath.“What?”She
shook her head. “Nothing.” She took his hand, slipping her icy fingers through
his. The electric sparks tore a fiery path down the length of her arms, nearly
melting the ice beneath their feet. She shivered involuntarily and felt his
fingers flex. “All right?” Had his voice always been so husky?She dampened her lips. “Yeah…” The single word died
in her throat as she was pulled towards him. Her heart tripped. Her lungs
stilled. The heat of his body rushed over her with the subtle scent peppermint,
leather, spices and smoke. A soft mist blew around them. Raindrops glistened in
his hair, shimmering under the pale glow of the light post. His eyes were
shadowed beneath wispy fringes, but the silver in them glinted like pools of
liquid mercury. Her breath caught. It must have made a sound because his
fingers tightened. His shaky exhale caressed her flushed face.“This,” he whispered so quietly she almost didn’t
hear him. “Is why you are so bad for me.”

Author Bio

International Best-Selling author Airicka Phoenix lives in
rainy British Columbia with her beautiful family. When she's not pounding away
at the keyboard, she can be found reading, shining her collection of daggers or
chilling with her kids.

She is the author of the Touch Saga, The
Sons of Judgment Saga, The Lost Girl Series, Betraying
Innocence and Games of Fire.

Airicka also writes adult paranormal &
contemporary romance under her alter ego, Morgana
Phoenix. Her first
novel, Capture Me, will be out
2014.

Yasmin is a descendant of the Manticore. A creature of Persian mythology. A Legendary.

But she doesn’t want to be. Unlike the Legendaries in The Red, Yasmin wants nothing more than an ordinary life. She tries to fool herself into believing that she doesn’t change into a beast every full moon and savagely kill innocent people.

But when Yasmin starts hearing a voice in her head and is drawn into dreams that aren’t her own, she is led to Fray—a girl who once saved Yasmin from hunters, who has shadowy memories that hint at her having Legendary magic—and Yasmin is catapulted into a life of Majick and malevolence.

Despite the danger around her and Fray, Yasmin might finally have a chance at being a normal girl with a normal girlfriend. But with Legendaries being killed, a war between the Gods brewing, and the beast inside Yasmin becoming stronger each moon, her mundane life is little more than a dream.

Saruuh Kelsey is the author of the Lux Guardians series. Her debut and the first in series, THE FORGOTTEN, a YA science fiction set in Victorian London and London 25 years in the future, is out now for free. Book two, THE REVELATION, releases October 7th. THE BEAST OF CALLAIRE, the first novel of a new YA fantasy series, with a same sex paranormal romance, is out May 20th.

Jackson is a quiet
Midwestern teen who enjoys the solace of the woods and the splendor of
stargazing. Beloved constellations come to life when he is thrown into Arcas, a
mystical planet with ancient ties to Earth. Jackson and his stellar companions
embark on an epic adventure to combat a rising evil threatening the future of
both worlds.

Back Cover Synopsis

When a beautiful and
powerful stranger throws Jackson into the world of Arcas, his predictable
Midwestern life instantly vanishes into an all-consuming adventure.

The last kingdoms of
Arcas possess enduring youth, beauty, and wealth but have slowly crumbled under
the weight of endless apathy and a painful past.

The rising evil of
Gurges Ater now threatens to reopen the ancient kingdom pillars created long
ago as passageways between Earth and Arcas. With access to both worlds, Gurges
Ater will quickly conquer the weak kingdoms and establish his own throne

Can Jackson, along with a paranoid bear, a lone hunter, and the surviving
seventh sister work together to protect both Earth and Arcas?

Or will the unlikely
heroes allow their own fears, pain, and past to paralyze them as Gurges Ater
opens the pillars and claims the throne?

Leave your own world
behind, dive through the shimmering portal, and join Jackson to discover the
beauty, danger, and adventure awaiting you in the world of Arcas!

B. I. Woolet (Benji & Ila Woolet)is the author of The Hunter, the Bear, and the Seventh
Sister, the first book from the World of Arcas series. Benji studied Music
Composition leading to a Bachelor’s in Music, and Ila studied English leading
to a BS in Education. When they aren’t working, writing, or chasing their three
little girls around, they are active in their local community and church. The couple
enjoys creating lyrical and literary arts, playing music together, and
exploring nature. They are happily married and live in Indiana.

Jackson crouched
low, hiding behind Otava’s branches. The river flowed quickly enough that
little effort was required to move the wooden canoe forward. The Hunter softly
guided them to the middle and occasionally steered away from rocks, branches,
or logs obstructing the smooth path forward.

The jungle around them remained still with only the sounds of birds and
small, scampering creatures echoing within. It was peaceful and calm, but the
companions felt watched, like at any moment some danger would bound out at them
from behind the green, leafy shadows. But it was not from within the woods
where the dangers truly lay. Danger lurked within the waters where little
torrents of ripples slowly penetrated the surface, increasing in size, speed,
and number. The canoe gradually began to sway lightly until the front and back
end rocked up and down, not in a rhythmic, parallel motion but in a jagged,
chaotic tumult as if an ominous war was waging underneath the water, and the
heat of the battle was moving up from the deep toward the canoe. The Hunter
turned his gaze from the woods and the curvy bend ahead to the waters
underneath and then glanced behind him.

“Hold on!” The Hunter commanded.

“What’s happening?” Jackson gripped the sides of the canoe.

“Ursa Major! I knew I should’ve brought my harpoon!” Otava grabbed a
spear instead and searched the water for a target.

Merope was close now. She sprinted out of the tree line onto the shore
just behind the increasingly warring waves thrashing onward toward the
powerless travelers. By the time she recognized exactly who she was following,
it was too late to warn him. As The Hunter stood, facing a beast, Merope cried
out—first softly in recognition and then loudly in warning:

Friday, February 7, 2014

If only a pile of wayward curls and the inability to stay on her feet were seventeen year-old Foster Kelly’s most pressing concerns. Unfortunately, stubborn hair and clumsiness are just the tip of it. At the age of five when Foster is told, “You don’t belong here,” it was only a mistake, but the result is one broken heart. These four carelessly spoken words have shaped and shadowed Foster, and now—a senior at Shorecliffs High-school—she seeks the wallflower’s existence, denying herself the most casual of friendships, much too afraid that someone will see what she believes is certain: she does not belong anywhere—or with anyone.

This reality would continue to suit her just fine; however . . . Love has a long-standing history of undoing broken hearts.

Like a comet, an unexpected arrival knocks Foster out of the crowded, starry sky, sending her directly into the limelight. Exposed and afraid, she will attempt to regain anonymity; but it isn’t so easy now that someone is watching. He pursues this shy enigma, confronting Foster’s deepest fears head-on, and in the process falls wholly and completely in love with her. But there is something he is not saying . . . a secret capable of certain ruin. Either he will break her heart once and for all, or he will heal it.

In the end, though, it is Foster who must decide if she is worth mending.

CARA ROSALIE OLSEN resides in sunny Southern California, where
she lives with her very patient husband, Michael, and their spoiled pooch,
Annabella. A product of a relatively normal childhood - whatever that means -
Olsen recalls "Life had this relentlessly boorish way of reminding me I
was wonky and unapproved. Regardless of status or gene pool, there is nothing
simple or easy about growing up. Life doesn't play favorites or carry biases;
it's the pits for everyone. But rather than constantly falling into the pit,
often I chose to climb down willingly, lining the bottom with a soft place to
land. That place is where I became a reader, and today, a writer."

Throughout high school Olsen struggled with subjects
Math and Science, but excelled at the arts, written and performed, often
finding a kindred spirit in those teaching Creative Writing and English
Literature. What began with an ardency for language soon developed into a
burgeoning desire to create. This yearning took shape in the form of poetry and
short story fiction, both of which have been featured in print and online
publications. Olsen's debut novel, Awakening Foster Kelly is the result of a four-year
project born on a whim and sustained by its characters' tenacity and their
refusal to give the author a minute to herself. "In the beginning, getting
them to talk was like trying to light a wet match. So, we had several long,
sometimes combative conversations. I told them that unless they started holding
up their end of the deal, I would have no choice but to fill in the blanks with
whatever scraps came to mind. It wasn't very long before I started showing up
to find that everyone was already seated and waiting for me. We talked. I drank
coffee. It was bliss."

These days Olsen considers herself incredibly blessed to
be able to do what she loves most. However . . . if she wasn’t a full-time
writer, she would have liked to join the cast of Saturday Night Live, or, taken
over as CEO of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.

Awakening Foster Kelly . . . never before have I
been so utterly confused by a book. But don’t let that scare you away. Hear me out.
You see, I didn't truly know what to expect of this book. I thought I might be
getting one thing and instead I got another thing entirely.

Many scenes had me so enthralled I couldn't put the
book down. And other parts had me shaking my head, confused as to what happened
and why the scene changed so suddenly. It was a constant battle – do I continue
reading or do I give up and mark the book off as a DNF?

Alas, let me tell you how completely entranced I was
by this book by the end. There was so much detail and sometimes that was
actually a bad thing – at least in the moment. I truly was confused for large
sections of the book but just as I was about to give up, something exciting
would happen. And by the end of the book? Everything just fell into place - everything makes sense.

In many ways I connected with Foster. I understand
where she was coming from and could see and even understand why she reacted the
way she did. And that kept me reading even when I wanted to give up on this
book. Something small that would pique my interest a little more. So I
continued. And wow! What a journey. All the detail? The crazy journey this book
takes you on? Well I would deem it very worth it by the end of the book.
Without spoilers, let me warn you: You might very hate the ending. But then
again, you might just love it.

At first I was hurt by the turn of events. So completely
taken aback by what I was reading – terrified that one chapter could have ruined
the entire story for me. But by the time I reached the last page I realized
this very well may be one of the best books I've ever read.

This book most definitely is not for everyone. And
in fact, if you are looking for a light read with a cute love story with a predictable
happily ever after, don’t read this book. But if you’re up for an adventure, a
challenge, if you’re up for something completely, utterly, crazily different in
the worst and best way possible, read Awakening Foster Kelly.

A HUGE thank you to Cara for asking me to read and review this book. If not for that request, I wouldn't have ever enjoyed the epicness of this book!

And I assure you that receiving a free copy of the book in trade for a review did not in anyway change my opinions on this book. In fact, I love it so much I am now purchasing it in Paperback!

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

This is Evie, my five year old niece. She wants to go to Disneyworld. So she devised a plan to get there - sell Crayons. You can check out her store HERE.

And here's the thing - I'm all about living your dreams! So to help spread the word about my niece's little business, I'm putting together a blog tour! The tour will run February 10th through the 24th. All posts will be pre-written and sent to you plus you'll get two sets of crayons. One to giveaway and one to keep! <3

Evie
the Crayon Creator Blog Tour information & rules:

1.Each blog
participant will receive two (2) packages of crayons. One to keep and enjoy
as a thank you and 1 to give away on
their blog. The blog giveaway may include ANYTHING else you want to give away
but MUST include the crayons.

2.Each
rafflecopter or giveaway entry method MUST include the following three OPTIONAL
entries: (1) Like Evie the Crayon Creator on Facebook. (2) Follow Evie on Etsy.
(3) Follow Evie’s Blog anyway you want. Each giveaway can have any other
entries the blogger decides up to 30 possible entries per person (total of 30
possible points). Mandatory entries are up to the blogger.

3.Each blog
participating can offer a maximum of 30 entries per person divided anyway they
want. Example 30 entries each worth 1 point. 3 entries each worth 10 points, 5
entries each worth 6 points. Etc. But no more than 30 entries per person can
exist. (this is so we can accurately calculate who had the most entries).

4.The blogger
with the MOST entries at the end of the blog hop will receive a $20.00 Amazon
Gift Card (electronic code, not a physical card) as a thank you!

5.Bloggers
must provide the name of the winner for the grand winner’s list on Evie’s blog.

6.The Text
above as the Blog Hop post must be posted.

7.Please link
to the rest of the blog hop, although not required would be much appreciated.

Monday, February 3, 2014

When she was little she wished to be a princess. Now as a teenager she just wishes she fit in. But Shanice doesn't feel like she belongs, she never has.

When her parents tell her she is the last known princess from another world, it all makes sense. A world full of magic in place of technology. One where she is more than just royalty, she is their last chance to stop the one who is bent on destroying it. Mendina.

But she can't do it alone, first she must find the other missing royals. In her quest, Shanice will be forced to choose between the course prophecy set for her, and the one that leads to the man her heart belongs to.

~ Q & A ~

I have received LOTS of questions about Missing Royal in the past few days and thought I should clear some things up.

Q: Is/Will Missing Royal be available for pre-order on Amazon? A: No. However the paperback copy (regular and special edition) are available for pre-order through my Etsy store.

Q: Will the Special Edition be available (on Amazon) as an e-book?A: No. The Special Edition copy is ONLY available in paperback. There will only ever be 100 copies in existence and they will only be available for purchasing through me.

Q: What does the Special Edition include that the regular edition doesn't?A: 1. The original map, drawn 4(ish) years ago.2. Multiple sketches including: dragons, scenes from the book, and Shanice's sword.3. Extra scenes.4. A Preview to The Enchanted Rose (Finding Gold, Book Two) - including the book's cover.

Q: If I pre-order a paperback copy when will it ship?A: All pre-orders for Missing Royal will ship a litter more than one week before the release date.

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask! I am so excited for this book! We're onto the final stages of edits!